Out of all the Avengers, Captain America remains one of my favorites. Steve Rogers is an outstanding citizen who stands to show just how proud and strong our country can be. But aside from the "Super-Soldier Serum", there is one other questionable about The Sentinel of Justice. He's Captain America, but is he exclusive to America? Today we'll be looking into Captain America's international notoriety.
Steve Rogers grew up in the 1940's, when World War II was beginning and the patriotism of the American people was being tested. Although he wasn't physically cut out for the Army, Rogers did his best to join out of love for his country. It was because of Rogers' indomitable will that he earned the right to volunteer for the Super-Soldier project and walk out a new man, Captain America. In 1945 Captain America became frozen in ice and thought dead after his battle with the evil Baron Zemo, what proceeded were several attempts by the government to replace Captain America. During the 1950's confrontation against Communism, three successors rose to be Captain America, the most notable being a man named William Burnside. William was a history graduate who idolized the original Cap so much he had undergone facial reconstructive surgery and changed his name to Steve Rogers out of admiration. William had subjected himself to a flawed copy of the Super-Soldier serum, resulting in his eventual insanity as he started believing regular citizens to be Communist sympathizers. William was placed under cryogenic sleep and decades later The Avengers would stumble upon the original Captain America frozen in ice. This little history lesson shows that the strength to fight for America and the compassion to protect it, are two different things. Rogers wasn't just the only successful Super-Soldier because of the proper experimentation, he was perfect because his heart was in the right place. As Rogers' life went on in modern times, the transition from saving his country to saving his planet was natural because Rogers wasn't against foreign relations, he was against bullying. Fighting soldiers and fighting aliens all depended on the context. Not only has Rogers shown commitment to protecting any and all countries, but he also shown enough respect to each country to learn about their society, language, beliefs and martial arts. Despite his namesake, Captain America is a very intercontinental character. So why continue going by Captain America in the modern day? It's out probably of respect for his early adventures, plus the name has a ring to it. Besides, I think Captain Planet is trademarked.
When the first Captain America film was released, there was a worry that other countries wouldn't respond well to such an country-specific character, but it was through Steve Rogers' characterization that Captain America was seen as so much more than a walking flag, he was a symbol of pride, righteousness and dedication to the common people. And if all that hasn't convinced you Captain America isn't America-exclusive, consider these facts: Rogers' parents were Irish Immigrants, his two best friends are African-American and Russian, and the first women he ever kissed was British. Thanks for reading! Check out The Panel Biters new Facebook Page!
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